Shoe



P. G. FLINT Oct. 16, 1934.

SHOE

Filed April 21, 1953 2 She'ets-Sheet l I Perky G.FZ,w/'ni P. G. FLINT Oct. 15, 1934.

SHOE

Filed April 21, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented act. 16, 1934 snon Parley G. Flint, Broc k'ton, Mass... assignor to Field and Flint 00., Brockton, Masa, a corpo tion of Massachusetts Application April 21, 1933, 'Serial No. 667,220

11 Claims.

My invention, which relates toJshoes, and has among its objects the provision of an improved waterproof construction, will be best understood from the following description when read in the 6 light of the accompanying drawings of an example of a shoe constructed according to th invention.

In the drawings:- Fig. 1 represents a plan of a weltshoe after it has been lasted and-the welt applied and before the sole and heel have been applied;

Fig. 2 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on the line 22 of Fig. 1 after the friction layer according to the invention has been applied;

Fig. 3 is a section, on an enlarged scale, corresponding to a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 with the sole applied but prior to trimming the edge of the latter and attached welt;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a shoe constructed according to the invention with parts broken away; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4. 7 Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one form of shoe according to the invention, I have showna common form of welt shoe having the insole 1, welts 3, and uppers, which latter comprise the outer leather layer 5 and the inner textile lining 7. As shown, the insole is provided with a channel 9, and the welts with grooves 11,

a line of stitching 13 being provided for securing the welts and the upper parts 5 and 7 in assembled relation with the insole. At the rear of the shoe the upper is drawn over the insole, as

indicated at 12, and secured thereto by nails 15,

while, at the toe of the shoe, interposed between the leather upper 5 and lining 7 is a box toe stiffener 17.

The above described construction of shoe is one commonly employed in connection with" the 40 so-called Goodyear welt shoe, Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings illustrating the shoe after the welthas been appliedand sewed, and the lips on the welt and insole hammered to secure an approximately uniform surface preparatory to applying the sole 19 (Fig. 2), which latter is secured to the welts by lines of stitching 21, as will beunderstood by those-skilled in the art. In the shoe illustrated, the fore part of the shoe is provided with a filler 23 ofanysuitable construction or material, preferably soft sheet felt composition,

preferably cemented or glued in place and-being of suflicient width to extend between the oppositeshoulders 25 so as to provide an approximately uniform bearing for the sole. The shank of the shoe if desired may be provided with a,

relatively narrow metallic shank stiffener 27 extending from the heel forwardly at the median line of the shank, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. When the shank stiffener is employed preferably a leather covering strip 29 00 of approximately the width of the shank between the shoulders 25 is employed.

It will he understood that the shoe constructed as above described provides a space between the insole and welt filled by the leather and linmg of the uppers, and that the seam or crack thus existing formsa means whereby water can leak into the interior of the shoe; Also in such a shoe water can leak into the interior thereof,

by way of the welt groove and channel of the insole, through the line of stitching. Further,- the textile lining, which has its edges exposed at the outer surface of the insole, formsa means which tends to act as a wick to draw moisture into the interior of the shoe. Still further, the material of the insole commonly is a rather spongy grade of leather with the skived surface thereof exposed-at the outer side of the insole, the latter for this reason readily absorbing moisture and particularly that which works through so the filler 23 and under the shank stiffener 27.

Heretofore, it has been attempted to waterproof an insole by coating the outer surface of the same with rubber cement, shellac, and the like. These materials have proved unsatisfactory due to their 35 inability to seal the cracks of the seams and because they are not absorbed by the various materials of the shoe to which they are applied, and particularly, in connection with the shellac, the material is not sufliciently'flaccid or pliable, re-. sulting in numerous line cracks in the coating and flaking of the same which destroys the waterproofing qualities, while rubber cement is commonly of a spongy structure rendering it nonwaterproof, and does not wear well. It has further been found that these materials rapidly deteriorate when the shoe is in use, due to bending stresses, heat and friction, and in this connection it will be observed that when the shoe is in use the bending stresses cause a rubbing action be- 1 0 tween the insole and the parts in contact therewith, which would rapidly destroy any material coating the insole which would not resist the friction.

According to] the present invention, what 1 5 amounts to a thin sheet of wear resisting, waterproof material providing a smooth friction surface is interposed between the insole and welts and the parts contacting with the same. Herein this sheet is formed by applying to the "top surface of the lasted shoe, when the latter is in the form shown by Figs. 1 and 2, a solution which upon drying forms the sheet, the material having considerable penetrating qualities so as to penetrate the'surface portions of the leather of the insole and welts, the edges of the lining and upper leather and the threads of the seams. In

this way the sheet so formed is in adhering relation to the top surfaces of the insole and welts. Preferably sufficient material is added to fill the insole channels and welt grooves. I

This thin waterproof friction layer or sheet 31, the thickness of which is exaggerated in the drawing, is applied when the shoe is in the condition illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2, that is to say, before the filler, shank stiffener, shank stiffener cover, and sole are applied. The material of which the layer 31 is formed, as hereinafter explained, is quick drying, and provides a smooth, non-tacky friction surface upon which the sole and other portions of the shoe ordinarily in contact with the insole and welts may easily slide when the shoe is subjected to fiexure. Preferably the layer extends close enough to the edge of the welt entirely to cover the latter in the finished shoe as shown in'Fig. 4. I

I have found, as suitable for use in forming'the above described waterproof sheet or'coating, a

nitro-cellulose base containing a plasticizer such as di-ethyl-phthalate or ca'stor oil dissolved in a volatile solvent, the latter preferably being a mixture. of ethyl alcohol and amyl acetate. The nitro-' one pound of celluloid to each gallon of a mixture of the other constitutents in approximately the following volumetric proportions: ethyl alcohol 75%, amyl acetate 20%, di-ethyl-phthalate 5%.

The above proportions are capable of considerable variation. Preferably the di-ethyl-phthalate is varied to control the fiaccidity of the celluloid or other nitro-cellulose employed,- and other celluloid solvents may be employed as substitutes for the ethyl alcohol and amyl acetate, the latter two substances however preferably being employed for the reasons pointedout.

It has been found that the above described substance, when applied to the shoe, has the wearingqua'lities of celluloid, and yet at the same time is flaccid, which lends durability which would not be secured were the ordinary celluloid solution applied to the shoe. Further, when applied the substance materiallyimpregnates the parts, giving it such strong adhering qualities that ordinarily the attempt to pull off the coating from the insole will cause .the leather fibers to tear off with it. Also the-welt groove, insole channel, and the seam between the welt and insole are completely closed by the material. The tough, horn-like character ofthe coating is such that it resists wearwhen subjected to friction, and no cracks or checks occur when the shoe is in use... This coating in effect forms on the exposed surface of the insole and welt what amounts to a smooth layer of.flaccid celluloid or other pyroxylin substance, this material being 1,977,668 r s horn-like and smooth. When the shoe is in use the parts attached to the insole are freeto slide over this surface when the shoe is subjected to fiexure, the same as in the ordinary Goodyear welt shoe or other shoe in which the sole is not cemented to the insole. As a result the coating is such that it is not destroyed by the heat gen is cemented to the insole the strain on the cement due to fiexure of the insole when in use tends to break the cement away from the insole at a multitude of small areas, which acts to destroy any waterproofing qualities of the cement. 'In

applicants construction this latter effect is entirely avoided. I, I

It will be understood that-the welt shoe herein described constitutes but one example of the invention, and that the coating is equally applicable to the seams and insoles of other forms of shoes.

I claim:

1. A shoe having, in combination, an insole, a sole operatively secured to said insole, and a flaccid, non-tacky coating of waterproof material on at least edge portions of the outer surface of said insole in adhering relation thereto but in nonadhering relation to said sole and providing on said insole a smooth, waterproof, wear resisting surface.

2. A shoe having, in combination, an insole, a

sole operatively secured to said insole, and a fiac cid, horn-like non-tacky coating of cellulose material impregnating the outer surface of said insole in non-adhering relation to said sole and providing on said insole a smooth, waterproof, wear resisting surface.

3. A shoe having, in combination, an insole, a

sole operatively secured to said insole, and a flaccid, horn-like, non-tacky layer of celluloid on the outer surface of said insole in adhering relation thereto but in non-adhering relation to said sole and providing on said. insole a smooth, waterproof, wear resisting surface.

4. A shoe having, in combination, an insole, upper parts secured to said insole at the edge portions thereof, a sole operatively secured to said insole, and a flaccid, non-tacky, wear resisting coating of waterproof material in nonadhering relation to said sole on the outer surface of said insole at the seam between the same and said upper parts, said coating being in adhering relation to said insole and closing said seam.

5. A shoe having, in combination, a channeled insole, a grooved welt, uppers, and a lining, said uppers and lining having edges between said insole and welt, said welt, uppers and lining being secured to said insole by a line of stitching extending from the channel of saidinsole to the groove of said welt, a sole stitched to said welt, and a flaccid, non-tacky wear resisting coating of waterproof material on the outer surface of said welt and adjacent portions of said insole'in non-adhering relation to said sole, said coating being in adhering relation to said insole and welt and closing said channel and groove and the seam to said welt, and a flacid, non-tacky, wear .resist- A ing coating of waterproof material on the adjacent outer surface portions of said insole and welt in adhering relation thereto but in nonadhering relation to said sole, said coating impregnating the outer portions of said line of stitching and lining and closing the seam between said insole, uppers, lining and welt.

7. A shoe having an insole, a sole, and a filler between a portion of said sole and insole, and a sheet of flaccid, horn-like, waterproof, wear resisting material between said insole and said sole and filler in adhering relation to said insole but in non-adhering relation to said sole.

8. A shoe having an insole, ashank siflener, and a sole, and a sheet of flaccid, horn-like material between said insole and shank stiffener in adhering relation to said insole but in nonadhering relation to said sole providing a .wear

resisting surface on said insole for said shank stiffener.

9. A shoe having an insole, a sole, and a filler- ,between a portion of said sole and insole, and a flaccid, non-tacky coating of waterproof material on the outer surface of said insole in adherthe adjacent edges of said insole and welt, said 'welt and upper parts being secured to said insole by a line of stitching the stitches of which extend from said insole to said welt through said edge portions of said upper parts, a sole stitched to said welt, and a flaccid, non-tacky coating of waterproof material in adhering relation to said insole and welt but in non-adhering relation to said sole on the outer surface portions of said insole and welt adjacent the seam between the same for closing the latter and waterproofing said line of stitching.

PERLEY G. FLINT. 

